KS Napoleon Game Sunday, Aug. 29th 20:00BST

We had problems running this battle.  We'll try it again with a new version of the mod that shows promise.
If you plan to play, here is the link to the new experimental version.: KS Napoleon Mod 1.12x
We will start at the usual time of 20:00BST, 15:00EST, 14:CST, 13:00MST, 12:00PST.



The French line of communication runs along the Estrada Colimbra.  Wellington has decided to break it at the crossroads of Periera.  Cavalry patrols report the road junction is defended by two divisions and a large contingent of cavalry.  Nosey's force greatly outnumbers the defenders so capturing the town should not be a difficult task.  Recently, a local farmer was interviewed by one of Cooke's piquets patrolling his western flank.  The man told them of seeing a very large column of French moving east, the column of dust stretched to the horizon.  On receiving this news, Major Cramm sent a squadron of hussars west to investigate.  Moving first to the west and then riding nearly to Eixo, the cavalrymen found no Frenchmen and saw no dust column on this foggy day.  The major has concluded that this report was just another instance of civilian overreaction to what was probably no more than a French cavalry patrol.  Nevertheless, Cramm sent his report to General Cooke, who in turn, has sent it to His Grace.

The objective of the battle is to capture and hold the crossroads at Periera by the end of the fight.

Lt General Sir Arthur Wellesley (21578 Inf.  4718 Cav.  50 Guns))

 Major General Sir Charles Colville (4591 Inf.  1374 Cav.  10 Guns)
   LT Colonel von Specht (2443 Inf. 4 battalions  Avg. Exp. 4.0)
   Major General Sir John Byng (2148 Inf. 3 battalions  Avg. Exp. 8.0)
   Major General Lord Somerset (1374 Cav. 6 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 7.0)
   Beans' Troop (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)
   Pittius 'Battery (4 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)

 Lt Gen de Perponcher-Sedinitzky (5701 Inf.  1355 Cav.  12 Guns)
   Maj Gen Sir Sir Colin Halkett (2241 Inf. 5 battalions  Avg. Exp. 6.0)
   Brig-Maj-General Hauw (3460 Inf. 6 battalions  Avg. Exp. 4.0)
   Major General Sir William Dornberg (1355 Cav. 8 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 6.0)
   Unett's Battery (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)
   Sinclair's Battery (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)

 Major General Cooke (5897 Inf.  751 Cav.  16 Guns)
   Maj. Gen. von Kruse (2840 Inf. 4 battalions  Avg. Exp. 4.0)
   Major General Sir James Lyon (3057 Inf. 6 battalions  Avg. Exp. 4.1)
   Major von Cramm (751 Cav. 4 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 6.0)
   Lux's Battery (8 Guns   Avg. Exp. 5.0)
   Stievenaar's 1st Battery (8 Guns   Avg. Exp. 5.0)

 Maj Gen Sir Charles Alten (5389 Inf.  1238 Cav.  12 Guns)
   Major Gen Count von Kielmansegge (3377 Inf. 6 battalions  Avg. Exp. 4.0)
   Colonel Charles Du Platt (2012 Inf. 5 battalions  Avg. Exp. 5.0)
   Major Generl Baron Trip van Zoudtlant (1238 Cav. 6 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 7.0)
   von Braun's Battery (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)
   Webber-Smiths' Troop (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)

Looks like fun! I plan in being there.

Thanks,
Tom W

I shall be there. I would prefer not to be Cooke again as I know what lies in store for him.

Planning to be there. Happy to take any role.

Martin (J)

Another excellent game that played the full course of 3 hours. I think we've found a version of the mod that is stable. Now we have to begin adding back in the parts we had in v 112 bit by bit until we break it again.

There will be another game on Wednesday.

For anyone wanting to play, these tests are still full-blown written scenarios and contain all the fun of any other game so anyone who hasn't joined us yet and would like to try out HITS and couriers, you're welcome to join us.

The fog made it a very difficult battle. Wellington literally couldn't see the end of his nose. If it hadn't been for the superhuman efforts of the men of Cooke's and Sedinitzky's divisions, it would have been a disastrous day for the British. Their unstinting drive to the all important crossroads won the day. Had Colville been a little more adept in fending off 3 French divisions, he too could have reveled in the victory.

I have experienced the full measure of what it is Soldier so often talks about. Next time I demand to have Pepe on my flank instead of Kevin.  

I can at least claim to have taken on and stopped three enemy divisions with my own, even though it was at the cost of its complete destruction.

This time I will provide some evidence for the Court of Enquiry:

1) Kevin's Right hand brigade proudly advancing to the north of my Hannoverians.



2) Ten minutes later that same brigade trying to reform in the rear.



I think Sedinitzky's division was overextended with the woods in the middle of his line (searching for plunder?). He has signed a request for a postumous VC for Gral. Colville.

I believe the evidence all points to one weak link. Colville. It's a sad day when the British guard can't stop a few rabble wearing blue jackets.

Enough of these false words Sir! Enough! I give you Ye Olde Reeplaye Fyle. This is all the evidence gentlemen of enquiring minds need in order to see how self-serving are your words!

Martin James is Wellington.

Iberalc (Pepe) is Gen. Cooke

MTG (The notoriously self-serving M T Georgia) is Gen. Sedinitzky

Thomas Whitfield is Gen. Alten

Digby is Gen. Colville.

The advance south commences at 3:00pm with Colville moving to contact and pinning the enemy centre north of Periera. Notice how the French division at Vimicso begins a most curious march. It goes north past our right flank. The Frenchman commanding this force later admitted he received a large purse of gold from General M T Georgia and a note telling him where Colville's divisionm would be! Mark well the movements of this division - it passes by our whole corps, pays a visit to the monument commemorating Pepe's victory at Villaflor and then falls upon the rear of my exhausted division from the north! Passing right around the right flank where Sedinitzky and Cooke had the duty of security!

At 3:45pm the French division opposite me attacks. I hold the ground easily with well-drilled squares of the Foot Guards and Household cavalry. More and more French are drawn into the fight with my division (as called for by Lord Wellington's plan) allowing Cooke and Sedinitzky an open flank. A mere three squadrons of the Horse guards deal with a brigade of cuirassiers and half a brigade of dragoons as well as three skirmisher battalions.

At 4:00pm Sedinitzky deigns to become involved by taking the attention of part of the enemy dragoon brigade and one brigade of enemy infantry. Note how little he and Cooke are actually advancing at this time - with almost nothing in front of them.

At 4:15pm the French cavalry reserve attacks Cooke. Sedinitzky is still skulking in the woods against a couple of French battalions and squadrons.

At 4:30pm Sedinitzky still has not done anything of note. The third French division begins moving west and attacks my left flank. I hinge my division back to face east and Wellington commits Alten to my aid.

By 4:50pm I am fighting two enemy divisions with Alten moving between Sedinitzky and me to support my right flank. Notice that there is now almost nothing facing Cooke and only weak remnants facing Sedinitzky. Still these gentlemen do nothing! Having paid their respects at Villaflor the fourth French division heads south on its insidious "paid" attack on my rear.

At 5:00pm the battle still rages with fury around my division. Sedinitzky and Cooke are having afternoon tea! There's not a single Frenchman before either of their divisions.

At 5:10pm Cooke finally moves to capture the town of Periera. Sedinitzky still sits in his comfy wooded dell munching dainty cucumber sandwiches. Look! His troops are doing nothing! Bloody nothing I say!

*Foams at the mouth*

At 5:20pm Cooke has secured the town, Alten is bravely fighting alongside me against the third enemy division and Sedinitzky... well you get the picture.

At 5:25pm Sedinitzky finally moves his hindquarters off his portable armchair and moves to the objective - not to help Alten and I but to loot the town of anything of value. At the exact same time the fourth or "purchased" enemy division attacks my rear and destroys my brave division.

5:45pm My division is destroyed. Alten's men are fighting hard. Cooke and Sedinitzky are counting spoons. Sedinitzky's men have actually moved back, away from the town and the fighting now...

Finally at 6:00pm Sedinitzky's cavalry get involved with some of Cooke's men helping Alten in the east. The battle however is over, the damage has been done. We hold Periera but the French have merely swapped places with us and now threaten us from the north.

I rest my case.

*Colville sits down and wipes the drool and foam from his lips as his ADCs go around the room mopping spatterings of the same moist material from the faces of the assembled officers, the maps spread on the table and the wood panelled walls.*

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French dragoons surrender from the firepower of a Foot Guards square!

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Horse Guards and cuirassiers clash.

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The brigade of Foot Guards dealing out the pain. A Brunswick battalion at extreme left distance.

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Brunswick jagers shooting a Swiss battalion to pieces.

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Heaps of dead cavalry; a Brunswick battalion holding the right flank supported by RHA guns.

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The carnage of battle; a French battalion takes up a position behind a makeshift breastwork of dead dragoon horses.

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A dark moment - my brave and until then very successful Brunswick jagers break from their square and are cut to pieces. Some nearby Dutch carbiniers run away.

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Dutch cavalry running away. Nothing to do with me.

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Finally Sedinitzky's light dragoons arrive. They look very clean, well-fed and at full strength to me!

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Cavalry melee.

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The deceitful and pusillanimous Sedinitzky himself with his staff watching a mass of Allied troops running away.

Meh. What a pitiful litany of excuses for not surviving the day.

Must I point out that the bribing of foreign armies to do our bidding is the British way? We had a choice to either fight for possession of Periera or spend a few bob and stroll in unhindered. Cooke and I decided preserving the lives of our men to be more important than the health of our purses. We're humanitarians. Now it may have slipped that if they moved south down the Periera Estrada they could add fame to their fortune, but that is really a small matter. Had they been defeated, my cavalry would have taken possession of the French baggage train. If Colville was destroyed, the cavalry would secure his. I fail to find a flaw in the logic. By the way, your flatware was exquisite.

The important thing is that we captured the town as ordered by His Grace. I might add it was a very profitable endeavor too. Just the contents of the mayor's house alone made whole our expenditure on the French. Even Colville gains. Somewhere in some London park, a statue will be erected to his memory. Pigeons will flock to honor him as only pigeons can.

Pigeons only shit on the famous. The plebians go unremembered...